Ten fun facts about Bangkok

Fact 1
Bangkok, different than the other 76 provinces, has a governor who is elected and serves a four year term.

Fact 2
In 2010, at least 37,985 accidents occurred in the city and made up 50% of the accidents in the entire country.

Fact 3
The city was once called 'Venice of the East' during the 19th century because people used the waterways as their main transportation.

Fact 4
It is a sister city to at least 23 cities in 15 different countries, including Washington, D.c. and Moscow, Russia.

Fact 5
One of the major problems in Bangkok is stray dogs, since approximately 300,000 run around the city.

Fact 6
Bangkok hosts the Songkran Festival, where the world's biggest water-fight takes place and street parties occur as well.

Fact 7
Though we know its name as Bangkok, the city's actual name is at least 169 characters long, making it the longest city name in the world.

Fact 8
In 2013, MasterCard ranked the city as the top destination city for international visitors, with at least 15.98 million visitors.

Fact 9
Prostitution is illegal, but the city has been nicknamed 'Sin City of Asia' because of its sexual tourism.

Fact 10
The city homes the largest Golden Buddha in the world, made of solid gold at 5.5 tons.